It Was Always You
by Mikael0000
Summary: Ladybug is hurt and is confronted with the truth of Chat's true identity.
1. Chapter 1

**It Was Always You**

 **Miraculous Ladybug is the property of Zagtoon et al. I own nothing.**

 _BANG!_

The man ran away, a cloud of smoke surrounding him and his pistol.

As I'm lying on the ground, I stare up at the green eyes of my partner. But something is wrong with his eyes: they are tearing up.

I manage a smile, despite the pain of the bullet wound in my stomach.

"It's okay, Chat. It doesn't hurt so bad."

I heard a beep. One minute until I transform back into my normal, clumsy self. Chat would finally find out who it was behind the mask. And the weird thing is that I didn't mind. Something about dying really puts things into perspective.

"Ladybug, you're about to transform," Chat said with a shaky voice.

"I know. I don't mind."

"But-but without your miraculous, how will you… how can you…"

"I won't. It's going to be okay, Chat."

Just then, I felt my suit disappear and a huge wave of pain swept over me.

"M-Marinette?" Chat exclaimed in dismay.

Okay, that shocked me.

"How do you know me?" I asked, genuinely curious to find out who my partner was.

Suddenly, a beep went off and Chat transformed into my crush, Adrien Agreste.

All of the cruel irony hit me at once as I realized I had been turning down the boy I couldn't even function in front of as a result of my feelings for him.

A chuckle escaped my lips as I realized all of this.

"So I only realize now that the love of my life has a crush on me as well. Perfect."

"Wait, you like me?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah. I even had our future family all planned out," I replied with a chuckle.

"Well, let's make that family someday. We'll get married and have as many kids as you want. We'll get a dog and buy a house and grow old together. All you need to do is hold on a bit longer."

"Adrien, I'm not going to make it a few minutes."

"Yes you are. You are the strongest person I know. You're My Lady, and I can't do this without you."

"Of course you can." I winced as I felt a jolt of pain and I knew the end was near. I looked up at him, wanting to memorize everything about him. His eyes, his nose, his hair, everything.

"Adrien. Ha, of course it was always you."

"Marinette?"

My vision limited and I stared at the sky.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful the skyline can be in Paris."

Then I closed my eyes.

 **So this is my second story and the first one I am curious to see the reception for. So reviews would be much appreciated. Also, if you would like me to make this a two-shot, it is an idea I am open to with an idea already in mind.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to Zagtoon et al.**

"Marinette?"

"I'd forgotten how beautiful the skyline can be in Paris."

"MARINETTE!"

Her eyes were closing and I could do nothing.

"HELP! HELP!"

A couple people came running over, but I didn't take my eyes off Marinette.

I tried to do CPR and kept doing that until I felt a strong hand on my shoulder.

"It's over, son," I heard a familiar voice say to me.

I turned around and saw my father standing there, a somber look on his face and tears in his eyes.

I turned into his warm embrace and began bawling into his chest.

"It's over. It's going to be alright," he kept repeating in my ear.

But I knew he couldn't possibly be right.

* * *

The funeral was a week later and I just stood in the back. Everyone made tearful speeches. Alya, her parents, her uncle, the mayor, but all I could do was watch on.

I was asked to be one of the pallbearers but knew I couldn't do that. I loved Ladybug and, even though I hadn't known it, I loved Marinette. Now she was gone and the only thing I could do was stand here.

The priest said a few prayers as they slowly lowered her into the ground. Everyone lay their flowers on the ground by the foot of her grave, but I was still standing there with my red rose.

Everyone slowly left, but I couldn't find the strength to leave her side. My legs gave out and I was on my knees in front of her. Directly in front of me, I could see the etching of her tomb.

 **Marinette Dupain-Cheng**

 **2002-2017**

 **Superhero to the people; hero to her friends**

The realization that I was never going to see her again hit me like a knife and I wept for hours. It should have been me. I was supposed to be the one take the hit.

* * *

The months passed and I had given both my ring and Marinette's earrings to Master Fu. I knew I would never be able to wear the suit again, not without Marinette beside me.

At 9:00 pm, I did the same thing I did every day. I put on my jacket, grabbed a blanket, and walked over to the park. I set the blanket down and lay there, staring up at the Paris skyline.

There was one pattern in the stars that looked like Ladybug swinging from her yo-yo. No wonder she had called the skyline of Paris beautiful.

Just then, I heard a roar that made me jump to my feet. A huge, dragon-like monster was coming towards me. It must be an akuma. I was just about to try and do what I could to stop it when I felt a _whoosh_. Streaking by me went two figures that looked very familiar.

"Oh, well this is just purr-fect, isn't it?" the one in the black cat suit said.

"Just once, can we stop an akuma without you making a dumb pun?" the one in red said.

For the first time in months, I smiled.

 **So this is the end that I had in mind. Someone also requested I do an AU where Ladybug survives. If this is something you want to happen, feel free to leave it in a review or PM. If this is it, however, I'd like to thank you for the views, faves, follows, and reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3

***** THAT'S HOW IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. BUT HOW ABOUT THIS? *****

 **I'm going to be honest: I was on the fence about whether I wanted to write a happy ending as well. Turns out I wouldn't have to. When a user named gleamqueen expressed interest in a happy ending, she volunteered to write it herself. The chapter below is, barring one or two minor tweaks, entirely her brilliant work.**

 **This is, however, truly the 100% end of my story. But that is the thing about fanfiction: the stories can always be continued by others. The stories can be expanded upon by others. All it takes is a dash of creativity and will-power. So, if you want a new ending for any story, be like gleamqueen and share your own ending with the world.**

 **I do not own this chapter. Zagtoon and gleamqueen do.**

I didn't know what to do. My eyes were dry from crying.

I ran with her in my arms.

She stayed limp.

She stayed pale.

She refused to move on her own.

Why wouldn't she move?

WHY COULDN'T SHE MOVE!?

I ran as fast as I could. I couldn't see where I was going. I just needed to help her. Nothing else mattered. _Nothing_ else mattered. Only her.

It was always her. Of course. Her hair, her beautiful bluebell eyes, her smile. She was always gone during an akuma attack. She had the exact same qualities. She was under my nose this whole time.

A-and she liked me. She said she had our family planned out.

"M'lady?"

I want her now. I _need_ her now.

My eyes were clouded. I saw a distant light and ran to it.

There was a building. It looked fairly like a hospital but, at the moment, I didn't care. I just needed to save her. That was all that mattered.

I barged inside and cried for help.

"HELP! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!"

"Is that Adrien Agreste?" people murmured.

"What, the model?"

I looked down. I'd forgotten that my transformation wore off.

A bunch of people came to me and carried her away.

I ran after them. I couldn't lose her.

But then two men grabbed my arms and held me back.

"NO! I NEED TO BE WITH HER! LET ME GO! Please..." I trailed off as I was engulfed in tears.

After what seemed like an eternity, with Plagg sitting on my shoulder not complaining for cheese or even saying a single word, someone came.

I felt Plagg quickly rush into my coat but I didn't care. I ran straight to him.

"Is she okay? Where is she?"

"I'm sorry, it's Adrien Agreste, right?" the doctor inquired.

"Yeah. Is Marinette okay?"

Firstly, do you know how Marinette got shot?"

I couldn't process all this at once. I couldn't speak. It seemed like my tongue was cut off. My throat was sore. I simply nodded my head.

"She was near a really bad akuma. And then I found her like this."

I couldn't tell the truth. She worked so hard to protect her identity, I wasn't going to give it away like that.

The doctor looked at me quizzically, as if trying to solve a puzzle then said, "I promise we will do everything in our power to save her," when, all of a sudden, someone in a suit much like the doctor that was just talking to me, came bursting out, running towards us.

"She's alive! The girl is breathing!"

My eyes lit up.

She was alive.

My ears were blocked.

My head was clouded. I couldn't think straight.

She was alive.

I ran towards the door and found her.

She looked angelic in the pale blue robe with her eyes closed and her lips curved in the shape of a smile. A smile that I would never forget. But more than that, I saw her stomach bouncing up and down, slowly, but still moving.

Up and down.

Sweet and steady.

Up and down.

Keep going, Marinette. You can do this.

Up and down.

I saw a small red kwami peeking out of the covers looking drained.

I carefully went to Marinette; as if I would could possibly kill her by simply being near her (something I would not want to experience).

And then she opened her eyes.

 **Marinette's POV:**

"I'd forgotten how beautiful the skylines can be in Paris."

And just like that, the world went dark.

I was burning up. Fire spread all over me. Flames climbed up my face and licked at me while I stood there like an idiot.

But the weird thing is, I didn't mind. One part of me was telling me to run and fight the pain. But the other part told me to just let it go, just let the darkness consume me and I would be free.

It was a hard offer to turn down. No more stress or pain. No more thoughts that burned me to the ground.

I was about to give in; and I would've, but then I saw a red light coming toward me.

I was curious, and y'know how curiosity killed the cat. Well, this one saved me.

The red light, I saw, was really only my alternate self. She held her hand out and I thought she was telling me to take her hand so I placed my hand on top of hers.

But then she took it away and asked for the earrings.

I touched my ears.

"Why?"

"To take them away from you." she replied.

"But why?"

"Well, you are going to give it up, no?"

I stayed silent.

"Without you, I cannot exist so I might as well leave the earrings somewhere else before I go too."

"Of course, without me, Paris is in danger, but what can I do? After all, it's up to you. Oh, and by the way, Adrien cannot survive without you as he loves you so. So it's only a matter of time before Paris says its goodbyes to their last superhero standing."

I gasped, "No! Not Adrien! Not Chat Noir! He doesn't deserve this fate!"

"And neither do we, but look at where we are. Might as well take the earrings now," she replied calmly.

My eyes blurred. I was crying.

"No! I can't! What about Tikki... and the others?! What will they do?!"

I sobbed my heart out.

My other self stayed silent for a while before speaking again.

"Well, why don't you come and see?"

Then she got up and left.

I couldn't take it anymore. I cried and cried until my voice became too sore to speak at all.

But just then I felt a hand placed on my shoulder.

It was Adrien.

And behind him was Alya. Then Nino. Then all of my other classmates. Even Chloe was there, begging me to come back.

On my other shoulder I felt Tikki, slowly nuzzling me. With my parents and everyone I ever knew, quietly encouraging me to get up.

So I got up.

And I opened my eyes.

 **Both Heroes POV:**

We stared into each other's eyes.

Her eyes were such a beautiful blue. I held her close. I would never leave her again.

I should've noticed it was him. They have the same blond hair, same gorgeous green eyes. I never realized how much I needed him until now.

"It was always you."

 **I would like to thank everyone who read, faved, followed, and reviewed this story. It truly has meant the world to me. If anyone is interested, I am also working hard on a Percy Jackson high school AU, because the world doesn't have enough of those apparently (I will try my best to make mine unique).**

 **So, until next time, friends.**


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